Red flare misuse at sea: over 20 false alarms in eighteen months
Emergency services have responded over 20 times in the past eighteen months when red signal flares turned out to be for entertainment rather than genuine distress calls.
Misuse of red signal flares causes costly unnecessary rescue operations on the coast
Over the past eighteen months, police have received more than 20 reports of red signal flares sighted at sea or in coastal areas, according to ERR News. In none of these cases did the flare turn out to be a genuine distress signal.
Sander Kobolt, head of the sea rescue and border guard unit at Pärnu police station, says people use red flares for entertainment or simply to dispose of expired pyrotechnics. "A red signal flare is an international distress signal. When used in a coastal area, it signals to vessels that something has happened," Kobolt explains.
When a ship's crew sees a red flare, they are obligated to notify the emergency centre. This triggers a rescue operation. Kobolt describes the subsequent chain of events: information received by the emergency centre is passed to the joint rescue coordination centre that oversees sea and air rescue, where the flare's location and trajectory are determined and rescue resources are dispatched.
Kobolt gives an example where the passenger ferry Finlandia spotted a red flare in Tallinn Bay. A helicopter as well as police and border guard vessels were sent to search, but no person in distress was found.
"This is a very troubling use of resources. Because someone used a red flare as a joke, resources are tied up in a search, whilst at the same time someone else may genuinely need urgent help," says Kobolt.
However, Kobolt emphasises that flares have genuine rescue value. He recalls an incident where a small boat's engine failed and the vessel began taking on water. A person on board signalled with a red flare and nearby ships spotted the signal and towed the boat safely to port.
Red signal flares are widely available in Estonia and are part of the mandatory safety equipment for small vessels. Kobolt notes that this easy availability may be one reason why they are often misused.
"When people see that a red flare is about to expire, they think they will use it for their own entertainment. I want to remind everyone that even on New Year's Eve, the use of a red signal flare is not permitted," says Kobolt.
Unauthorised use of a red signal flare can result in a fine of up to 800 euros.
Source: ERR News